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Burton Guster
Burton "Gus" Guster is a fictional character played by Dulé Hill in the television series Psych. Young Gus (shown in flashbacks) is played by Isaah Brown (Season 1) and Carlos McCullers II (Seasons 2 - 4). Fictional biography Gus has been Shawn Spencer's best friend since childhood, and co-owns the detective agency "Psych" with him, after Shawn was able to forge Gus' name on the lease. Gus tends to be straight-laced and more cautious, although he has been friends with Shawn for long enough that he understands that Shawn cannot be stopped once his mind has been made up. Gus is often shown to be academically advanced. As a child, he applied for and was accepted into the Meitner School for gifted students; however, his parents turned down the placement, later telling Gus that it was too far to drive.In high school, he was involved in spelling bees until 1989, when he lost a competition by accepting covert advice from Shawn on the spelling of "aggiornamento." He continues to follow the American Spelling Bee meticulously, and tapes the yearly championship. He was also voted most likely to succeed in high school and is upset that he has not done more in life. However, after helping Shawn solve a murder, he realizes that he leads a very productive life and he's happy with what he's done. Gus' parents, Bill and Winnie Guster, are shown to be overly protective of their son and still regard him as a child who needs looking after. They long disapproved of his friendship with Shawn, whom they regarded as a bad influence. After Shawn and Gus solve a murder for which Bill and Winnie had been wrongfully arrested, they mellow towards Shawn and admit that perhaps they do not need to baby Gus so much. (However, immediately after Gus leaves, they offer Shawn cash with a stern order to look after their son.) A brother has been referenced in Gus' blog on the official USA Network website, but has received no mention in the show to date.In the deleted scenes for "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy" on the Season 2 DVD, Gus' mom mentions a brother who lives in Connecticut. In the episode "Christmas Joy" Gus' family comes to town for the holidays, including Gus' sister Joy, who shares a mutual attraction with Shawn. While in Mexico on Spring Break in 1997, Gus met Mira Gaffney and married her on a drunken binge. He broke off the relationship soon after and the two lost contact until 2008, when the marriage was annulled in anticipation of Mira's upcoming wedding. He also has an uncle named "Burton Guster," nicknamed "Burt" for short. Gus has a job in pharmaceutical sales and with his vast knowledge of drugs, he helps to identify poisons and other drugs used in crimes to help solve cases. Gus has a very refined sense of smell, and has nicknamed his nose "the Supersniffer". He is able to recognize the base component of a perfume by smelling it, and can perform the same trick with food. The talent seems to be hereditary, as it has been displayed by both of his parents, and has led to the uncovering of crucial evidence in several cases. He has been shown to have a fear of dead people, having run away from a scene where a dead person is present on more than one occasion. He is also well-versed in high-tech locks or safes, as demonstrated by his ability to crack an electronic lock on his first try. Characterization Although early in the series Gus is reluctant to get involved in Shawn's adventures, James Roday (who portrays Shawn) says he feels the partnership has developed into a much more equal one, with Gus taking a larger role in their cases as opposed to constantly being "dragged around by the collar against his will". Actor Dulé Hill says that Gus has become more relaxed as the show has progressed, and more capable of standing his ground against Shawn: "I think in the pilot he was more of a receiver, and he gives it back a little bit more now." The change in his clothing is reflective of his more relaxed approach. Whereas early in the series, Gus is often seen wearing a suit and tie, by the second season he is dressing more casually. Notable Episodes Season 1 * "Spellingg Bee" * "Woman Seeking Dead Husband - Smokers Okay, No Pets" * "Who Ya Gonna Call?" * "Shawn vs. the Red Phantom" Season 2 * "American Duos" * "And Down The Stretch Comes Murder" * "Meat Is Murder, But Murder Is Also Murder" * "If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead?" * "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy" * "There's Something About Mira" * "Lights, Camera...Homicidio" * "Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion" * "Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead" Season 3 * "Ghosts" * "Gus Walks Into a Bank" * "Christmas Joy" * "Six Feet Under the Sea" * "Tuesday the 17th" Season 4 * "The Devil's in the Details ... And in the Upstairs Bedroom" * "High Top Fade Out" * "Thrill Seekers & Hell Raisers" Season 5 * "Feet Don't Kill Me Now" * "Ferry Tale" Guster